Eating Healthy- Weight Maintenance

Posted by Jennifer Cote

Home-grown celery- eat local!

“Eat Local”, as in your backyard!

My head was about to explode over the immense wealth of world wide web info on being healthy and fit. So I thought I’d better take notes in a post, which you can join me in mulling over, if you’d like.

It started over half a year ago, when I realized I was going through another phase of not being able to shake a few pounds. This happens now and then, if my eating habits get more and more lax. Not that I want to get obsessive about this… But I do feel better at a certain weight, and I digest my food better, and my food-burning bank account stays flush. (We usually want to see our bank account grow, but not in this case.)

I thought I’d look into some of the THM (“Trim Healthy Momma”) products, which I’d seen at my daughter-in-law’s. I was curious about the approach of these two Christian sisters, who have a popular book out, and website to go with it. Michelle had tried THM’s Baobab powder*, which comes from the fruit of the Baobab tree, and is incredibly nutritious. I’ve already got my own theory that, as soil nutrients gradually get wiped out from over-farming, much of our food is less nutritious. So it only makes sense that foods from more ancient, more pristine and far-away soils would contain more nutrients than our run-of-the-mill produce. (Oops- I really do want to buy local, and I do actually grow bunches of our own foods, but…I buy bags of superfoods on Amazon too.)

Arugula & Other Garden Greens for Health

Arugula’s thriving in the garden

I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland, like I’d fallen down a worm hole to another dimension, pondering talk of “S Meals”, “E Meals”, and “FP Meals” (as mentioned on the THM website). A lot of it makes sense, though I hadn’t considered or even heard of this approach before. Basically (super-streamlined version), if we want to be trim and healthy ourselves, we might follow three rules as much as we can (even if we do splurge on occasion).

#1- Always separate fats from carbs. Wait. What? I thought I could have that homemade artisan bread and butter as a snack. Oops. (Note to self: This would be a great weight-loss strategy for me, since I never really want bread without the butter. Maybe a little bread with my butter… I hardly even want carbs if I can’t load ’em up with some yummy fats!)

#2- Always include protein; a good mate for carbs or for fats. Hold on. Again. I guess I need to include some protein in my meals and snacks?! Makes sense though. If I have a snack of a cup of blueberries, I might even get hungrier. (Weird, but true.) So then I might eat another cup of blueberries. Or something worse, because I’m still hungry. Humm…maybe this could work…

#3- Stay away from all forms of sugar (a weight-gainer). Well, that makes sense. Except for the nod to stevia. A lot of the THM recipes include stevia, which doesn’t totally make as much sense to me, since one of my goals is to NOT have a sweet tooth. A friend and I have noticed how we could retrain our tastebuds to the point where raspberries taste plenty sweet. So I would skip the stevia. Even if I have heard that stevia doesn’t raise insulin levels, there is this article to consider (about how we might get messed up because our bodies think we’ve just ingested a bunch of sugar calories, but actually didn’t).

Pomegranates- Healthy Winter Fruit

Pomegranates- A tart winter fruit loaded with nutrients

So… let’s see. Where did my head start exploding? I could actually wrap my mind around the three rules, and even the Meal Definitions didn’t seem too overwhelming. Those are, in a tidy nutshell, as follows:

“S Meals” = “Satisfying- These are meals of proteins and fats, which contain zero or very low carbs. (Think veggies, but not potatoes, which have too many carbs.)

“E Meals” = Energizing- These are meals of lean proteins and carbs (like, 45 grams or less of the carbs- no big starches here either). E meals are also low fat- only about 2 tsp. fat total. (The little bit of fat helps the body glean more nutrients from the meal.)

“FP Meals” = Fuel Pull-  These meals will help a body burn fat, and consist of lean proteins, with hardly any fat or carbs. Without those extra carb/fat calories, the body ends up using its own fat or energy stores to digest that lean protein.

So Now What?

Breville's the best orange juicer ever!

:When Life Gives You Lemons”, or, “When the Season’s Harvest is Blood Oranges…”

Our pastor likes to finish sermons with a “So What?” So, I’m stealing it. Since, after processing all this info, and beginning this quest (over six months ago) to reestablish a healthy, working system, what have I concluded? What now?

1. Don’t Just Buy Local- Eat Local, as in Your Backyard! OK, I’m veering away from the THM precepts here, but I think a lot of our health has to do with proper nutrition. We have a perfect Creator who supplied us with everything we should need for health. So- was it just coincidence that He gave us certain foods in certain seasons? Seems to me we most likely need many of the very things that are ripe and ready under our noses. With flu season underway, is it a coincidence that we have seasonal fruits that are loaded with vitamin C to fight off bugs? In my own yard, we had a plentiful harvest of persimmons, and are able to continue eating the extra ones I dried over the holidays. We also have lots of citrus ripening. Celery, parsley, and other greens are loving the cool weather- is this a hint that I need to make more soups and salads, to use all this stuff? YES, probably! Another perk of growing your own: you can avoid pesticides and irradiation, which may or may not be on purchased produce, imported or otherwise

Hope you & yours are blessed with health & love in the new year!

2. Do Include More Protein, Less Carbs, to Avoid Weight Gain- Am I jumping on the Keto Bandwagon, going gluten-free and low-carb and all? Well, the proof was in the pudding, which I couldn’t eat on a regular basis without gaining weight. I did follow the THM precepts for the last six months, and felt healthier, AND maintained my weight goals. Maybe it’s not for everyone. But there does seem to be an almost world-wide health crisis, as “food” companies continue to profit from producing “food” that is not nourishing. I don’t think it’s an issue of accepting a certain body image, if that body has been created from a diet of very addictive non-food! In that case, it seems to me the right thing is to stop accepting the “food” that leads to sickness.

OK, so I do sound like a party-pooper. But when we are able to break our food addictions, healthy food starts tasting so good. I can only hope more people will be encouraged to nourish their bodies, and enjoy health in the process!

Teaser for upcoming post: My latest favorite Smoothie, with a dry “will powder” blend mixed in- keeps me from craving other not-so-healthy foods!

Caramel Flan, Taste-of-Home Style (+ 200-serving Recipe)

Posted by Jennifer Cote

My friend wanted me to share the flan recipe we served at our church’s annual Christmas Dinner. It’s actually straight from the Taste of Home website (see “Creamy Caramel Flan” recipe here). But I can embellish with my own story, for your amusement. And add a few tips. Otherwise though, yeah, not my recipe!

Flan for 200?!

But I can tell you: you can multiply this recipe by 24, making it in thirteen 13×9″ pans, cut into 16 servings each, for 208 servings total. IF you are truly serving a crowd, like we did last night. The dessert received good reviews (and some raves, but those were all my friends, right?).

But here’s the catch. Do not caramelize the sugar on one big batch. Do a quarter batch at a time- this cuts your losses, in case the first batch of sugar turns into a burning mass by mistake.

 

What? How does one turn the sugar into a burning mass, you ask? Well… turns out, caramelizing one pound of sugar at a time is usually no problem (we do it almost daily at The New Deli), BUT. In caramelizing a larger quantity, it could happen that once the sugar gets to just the right temperature, the sugar will keep on cooking, going right past that golden stage, to the stinky brown stage. Even with the heat off! It apparently reaches critical mass and you can hardly get it out of the pan quick enough.

So, my first tip: maybe don’t try to make 210 servings of this. But if you do, turn the heat off for the sugar before it’s the right color. Wait and see- it might get to the right color on its own, given a few extra minutes, even with the heat off.

Second tip: If you want this to become more of a cheesecake than a flan (but an easier cheesecake, since you don’t even need to make a crust for it), then just bake it a bit longer than called for. We apparently did, and that’s what happened!

The recipe’s listed below, with one or two tweaks, if you want to try a single batch of this.

Caramel Flan

Serves 8-9.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 5 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Cook the sugar and water over medium-low heat, in a heavy-bottomed pan, until melted and golden, about 15 minutes. Pour quickly into a 9×9″ dish (or the equivalent), tilting to coat the bottom; let cool 10 minutes or so. Use: > 3/4 c. sugar > 1/4 c. water

Beat the cream cheese until smooth: > 8 oz. cream cheese

Add eggs one at a time, until mixed: > 5 eggs

Then add: > 1 can sweetened condensed milk > 1 can evaporated milk > 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Pour over caramelized sugar.

Put dish in a larger baking pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan, 1″ deep.

Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle).

Remove dish from the larger pan, let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Then refrigerate overnight.

To unmold, run a knife around edges and invert onto a large rimmed serving platter; spoon sauce over the top.

 

Just for fun, here’s the recipe for 208 servings, below:

Caramel Flan for 200

13 pans cut in 16 pcs. ea. (.318 ea.)

Ingredients

  • 9.84 lb. sugar (2.45 lb. per batch)
  • 2.68 lb. water (.67 lb. per batch)
  • 24 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 10 dozen eggs
  • 24 cans (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 24 cans (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 4 oz. (.24) vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium-low heat until melted and golden, about 15 minutes. Use quarter-recipe amounts (do this four times): > 2.46 sugar > .67 water

Quickly pour into (FOUR + ¼ PAN/ea. batch) ungreased 13 x 9” dishes, tilting to coat the bottom; let stand for 10 minutes.

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Use quarter-recipe amounts as follows (do this four times). Use: > 3 lb. cream cheese > 30 eggs > 6 sweetened condensed milk > 6 evaporated milk > .24 vanilla

Pour over caramelized sugar, in FOUR + ¼ PANS/ea. batch.

Place dishes in larger pan (chafing pans?). Pour boiling water into larger pan, 1″ deep. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will jiggle).

Remove dish from a larger pan to a wire rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.

To unmold, run a knife around edges and invert, to serve.

 

 

Blueberry Pie, Jean’s Recipe

Posted by Jennifer Cote

This recipe is adapted from the June, 1989 issue of Bon Appetit, with a few tweaks from my mom, sister, and me. But it’s more than a recipe—it’s a sweet memory of my summer visit to Michigan. My sister was getting chemo, so I was helping by bringing dinner. I did not expect to see a beautiful blueberry pie on the counter when I arrived, which Jean had made, despite any struggles she was having. This was a family-favorite recipe she’d made many times, and I sure was glad I finally got to try it myself.

Any recipes originating with Bon Appetit are also a precious reminder of my mom’s legacy—creating beautiful desserts and meals inspired by that magazine, which she subscribed to for decades. She saved and marked up stacks of them, dating from the seventies through the early 2000’s. Mom has passed along some of the very best recipes to my sister and me. The memories live on, and more get made!

I recently brought this to a church picnic for the pie contest. It won a few fans, even if it didn’t win first place. (My friends, who also try to limit their sugar intake, figured that that was the fault of judging team’s composition: four guys who love sugar.)

This is the best blueberry pie my friends and I have ever had. The cooked blueberry sauce gets mixed with raw blueberries, which gives the pie fresh texture (no pie crust full of gooey jam here…). I personally like to use unsweetened (or barely sweetened) whipped cream on top, but… that’s just me!

BonAppetit-Style Blueberry Pie w/Fresh Blueberries, Less SugarMakes one 10” pie, serving 8-10

PIE CRUST INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 stick butter, cold, cut in pieces (1/4 c.)
  • 1 c. + 1 TBS. flour
  • 2 TBS. cold water (.06)

Process in food processor just until butter is coarsely mixed in throughout (not pureed smooth): > .19 butter, cold > .33 flour
Pulse in food processor again, adding cold water slowly through top: > 2 TBS. cold water
Turn dough out onto plastic wrap; press into flattened blob; let rest ten minutes or so.
Roll dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Press into pie shell. Floured hands make forming the crust easier.
Freeze shell for 20 minutes or so, or overnight (wrapped up).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake chilled shell at 400 degrees for 12-20 minutes, until golden.
Let pie shell cool.

PIE FILLING INGREDIENTS

  • One baked pie shell
  • 1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. corn starch
  • 1 TBS. butter
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 3 c. fresh blueberries
  • 1 1/2 c. cream

In a small pan, mix together: > 1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries > 3/4 c. sugar > 1/4 c. corn starch > 1 TBS. butter > 1/8 tsp. salt

Heat mixture on medium heat until bubbly, then simmer for two minutes to finish cooking. Let cool.

To cooked mix, add: > 3 c. fresh blueberries

Spread mixture into cooked pie shell; top with whipped cream. Use: > 1 1/2 c. cream

Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Chia Pudding, Healthy, Super-fast, Eco-Friendly

Posted by Jennifer Cote

I recently posted this recipe for Coconut Honey Butter, which is the base for an easy Chia Pudding. I call this pudding “eco-friendly”, because its made with a concentrated mix you’ve prepared, that doesn’t use boxes of watered-down (and possibly rancid) nut milk as the base. Therefore, it’s not promoting the production, packaging, and transport of what’s essentially a product that’s 85% water! Why use all that gas to truck boxes of water to stores where we buy it, and throw out the extra packaging?!

Sorry, did that sound like a rant? Back to the subject: Chia Pudding…

Fast Easy Chia Pudding w/OUTBoxed Almond Milk!

Chia Pudding

This is an easy recipe to whip up. Just do it six or more hours ahead of time (or overnight for a morning treat). The chia seeds will firm up this way.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 c. coconut honey butter (see recipe)
  • 1/2 c. boiling water
  • 3/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 1/3 c. + 1 TBS. chia seeds
  • 1/2 c. cold water

Blend first four ingredients until smooth: > 1/2 c. coconut honey butter > 1/2 c. boiling water > 3/8 tsp. salt > 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Pulse in chia seeds and cold water just until blended: > 1/3 c. + 1 TBS. chia seeds > 1/2 c. cold water

Let mixture rest at 5-minute intervals, pulsing to mix lightly every 5 minutes. Do this three times, then refrigerate pudding in serving dishes, or glass container.

Serve after it sets up, at least six hours later.

Coconut Honey Butter- For Smoothies, Chia Pudding, Etc.

Posted by Jennifer Cote

This is a bit like a concentrated “nut milk”, made with coconut butter. I add some grass-fed butter to it too, since it’s synergistic with the cod liver oil we have every day (butter increases the absorption of the CLO’s nutrients).

Oh wait—I add the butter ‘cause it tastes so good! (OK, maybe for both reasons.)

The beauty of a concentrated mix like this is: it keeps much better than the average nut milk. I did try making my own nut milk… alas, I couldn’t make a big batch, as it would spoil before we consumed all of it. But this recipe keeps for a month or two!

Just a note as to why I make this particular recipe: because that concentrated coconut manna stuff I get is pretty tough to get out of the jar. (It’s almost always cool in my Bay Area kitchen.) By melting that jar of solid paste, and mixing it with some honey, butter, and vanilla, it becomes a semi-solid. Then I can easily take a hunk of it out for various purposes. Perfect!

Nut Milk Concentrate- Greener than Cartons!Add a couple tablespoons of to this Turmeric Golden Milk Drink. Or use for smoothies–I blend with a splash of warm water to make it creamy, then add other ingredients.

OR, make easy Chia Pudding out of it!

Makes 1 1/2 qt. or so

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 jar (15 oz.) coconut manna (AKA “coconut spread”, “coconut butter”, “coconut cream concentrate”)
  • 1 c. butter
  • Scant 1 c. honey (.65 lb.)
  • 1/4 c. vanilla
  • Optional: 1/2 c. macadamias or Brazil nuts (or other favorites)

Melt the coconut manna by setting the jar in a pot of simmering water (with a towel at the bottom of the pot to keep the jar from breaking). Use: > 1 jar (15 oz.) coconut manna

When the manna’s melted enough to remove from jar, add to small pot along with: > 1 c. butter > Scant 1 c. honey > 1/4 c. vanilla

Gently warm the mix until butter’s melted, then stir until blended.

Pour into glass container and store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Fountain: Easy Dip + Fixings

Posted by Jennifer Cote

We had a chocolate fountain at our women’s retreat this spring. I’m thinking, if it can be pulled off there, where we had no access to a kitchen, it could be pulled off just about anywhere. Being that we were setting up in a building out in the woods, with running water being about our only kitchen convenience, I streamlined the goodies used- it was easy to rinse strawberries and set out boxes of this and that, and it worked. Minimal fussing, maximum enjoyment!

Previously, I had used another pretty easy approach, letting the oven warm some of the chocolate mix, which helped me to avoid having to babysit the stuff (stirring it regularly in a double boiler and all that). I added the remaining ingredients after 30 minutes, giving it another 30 minutes in the oven. It just took one good stir, and it was ready to pour into the machine.

This most recent time, I used a crockpot to warm the ingredients. No extra stirring really (except at the end). After an hour or so, it was ready to pour into the fountain. And get eaten up. Yum! (See bottom of page for that recipe.)

Warm ingredients in low-heat oven first, for easy chocolate fountain

Chocolate Fountain for 50

Use more or less dark chocolate, according to taste. Serves around 50.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 c. + 1 TBS. coconut oil
  • 3.6 lb. chocolate chips (part dark, broken into pieces, if desired)
  • Optional:.2 TBS. cocoa butter, chopped

Add coconut oil and about half of the chocolate in a big bowl and warm in a 170° oven*for 30 minutes, until melted. .Use: > 1/2 c. + 1 TBS. coconut oil > About 5 c. (1.80 lb.) chocolate chips > Optional: 2  TBS. cocoa butter, chopped

Stir well. Add the remaining chocolate chips (about 4 1/2 c.) and warm in oven again for another 30 minutes.

Pour into machine, according to directions. Make sure it’s very, very level.

Serve with pineapple, angel food cake, strawberries, pretzels, marshmallows, etc. If using bananas, add lemon juice to protect from browning.

 

Easy Chocolate Fountain for 70, Crockpot-Style

It’s suggested that 4 lb. should serve 50 or so. For our event, 5 lb. served 70 ladies.

INGREDIENTS

  • .62 coconut oil
  • 5 lb. chocolate chips (part 70% dark, broken into pieces, if desired)
  • Optional: .15 lb. cocoa butter, chopped
  • Five 2-lb. pkg. fresh strawberries
  • 1 lb. pretzel sticks
  • 1 box graham crackers
  • 1 bag marshmallows
  • 1-2 angel food cakes

Melt all ingredients in crockpot; on high, it may take an hour or so, with some stirring, and supervision to be sure it doesn’t get too hot. On low, it may take two hours. Use: .> .62 coconut oil > 5 lb. chocolate chips (part darker chocolate if desired) > 15 lb. cocoa butter, chopped

Pour into machine, according to directions. Make sure it’s very, very level. The machine will hold 4 lb. of chocolate (or a bit more), so leave some of the chocolate in the crockpot, to replenish later, if necessary.

Serve with favorite accompaniments.

Chicken, Shake n’ Bake Style

Posted by Jennifer Cote

This has been my go-to recipe this month. We’ve had different groups over for dinner, and it’s been a hit each time. Plus, Tom and I like having the leftovers.

Also, I’ve been using the extra artisan bread I’ve had on hand, which works perfectly. (That starter’s such a slave-driver, as I have to keep making bread so my starter stays fresh and happy. Am I saying I’m a slave to this bread-making? Well… maybe a little…)

Any drippings and other goodies that are left in the pan are mixed into any veggies I’m grilling up at the time. SO yummy.

Use leftover bread for bread crumb/parmesan/herb mix on this baked chickenOf course this chicken is healthier than its cousins in the manufactured-mixes and fast-food departments. Plus, I can use free-range chickens.

And, this is baked, not fried, so no one has to mind the pan!

Serves 6-8

  • Favorite pieces from whole chicken (thighs, wings, drums, breasts) (about 4 lb. net)
  • 2/3 c. melted butter
  • 1/2 c. Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2-2 c. bread crumbs
  • 1 c. Parmesan cheese
  • 1 TBS. onion flakes
  • 1 TBS. paprika
  • 1 TBS. dry oregano
  • 2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using whole chicken, cut into pieces, saving the back side for chicken stock, if desired. Set chicken pieces aside; about 4 lb.

Melt butter, add Dijon. Stir vigorously until smooth. Use: > 2/3 c. butter > 1/2 c. Dijon mustard

A piece at a time, brush pieces with the Dijon/butter mix, then dip in the Parmesan/crumbs/herb mix, then set in iron skillet.

Bake 40 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees, until done. Save the drippings for flavoring grilled veggies, served on the side.

Chunky Chocolate, Healthy Style

Posted by Jennifer Cote

The Chunky Song left quite an impression on my husband and me, as young kids in the sixties. Here’s a link to a clip of the old ad, complete with the “Open Wide for Chunky” song. Cracks me up.

But seriously, they were on to something with that old-fashioned confection. It used to contain chocolate, apples, grapefruit, raisins, cashews and Brazil nuts. Yum- good stuff! And Brazil nuts’ll even give you a good dose of your daily selenium!

The recipe changed when Hershey’s company bought it- they made it with peanuts, raisins, and of course chocolate. (Not to mention a few chemicals- artificial flavors, soy lecithin, TBHQ and Citric Acid). I suspect that they found this recipe to be cheaper. More profit. The American way?!

Years later, now I want a healthy version of a Chunky! Plus, I felt bad for my husband, who never wanted to imbibe in the unsweetened (and very expensive) chocolate I was getting at Trader Joe’s.

This recipe for bittersweet chocolate is a good alternative to the recipe below, since it uses cocoa powder, which is easier to deal with. I’ve also posted a Coconut Bark recipe here. And this Cocoa Nib Fudge is a previous incarnation of the recipe below. But I tweaked the recipe, and love this new version best. If you have cocoa nibs on hand, the following recipe is perfect.

OK- it’s starting to seem like I’m a little obsessed with chocolate! Well, it does make me happy :). Maybe it makes my brain better too- they say the MCTs in coconut oil are great for us!

Oh, one catch with cocoa nibs (“cacao nibs” to be exact)– something like a Champion juicer works well to grind up those nibs. I’ve used the Vitamix dry blender, but even that doesn’t puree them completely. The Champion does a decent job of it. And that thing lasts. I purchased mine back in 1982 while working at a health food store. It still comes in handy when I’m juicing loads of juice for kombucha or for an occasional cleansing fast. It is a good investment!

I mean, I just don’t have a giant milling stone like the commercial chocolate companies have, nor the time to let the stuff whir around for hours on end. So–the Champion juicer will do for me.
Healthy Chocolate- as Bittersweet as You Want!

This makes a great alternative to other chocolate options containing refined sugar. Satisfies my chocolate cravings, and is pretty nourishing too!

Makes 2 lb.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil (part butter or cocoa butter if desired)
  • 1/3 c. palm sugar (or 1/4 c. honey)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 c. macadamias
  • 1/2 c. dates, pitted
  • 1/2 c. raisins

Toast in oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes in iron pan; stir once. Turn oven off and let finish toasting for 10-15 minutes more: > 1 1/2 c. raw cacao nibs

Process toasted cacao nibs (ideally in a Champion juicer; next best is Vitamix dry blender) until quite smooth. Add and process again (or run through Champion juicer again): > 1/2 c. melted coconut oil

In a big bowl, mix together with: > 1/4 c. palm sugar > 1/4 tsp. salt > 1 tsp. vanilla > 1 c. macadamias > 1/2 c. dates, halved > 1/2 c. raisins

Spread in loaf pan, then refrigerate overnight.

Turn the solid fudge mixture out onto cutting board (run upside-down pan under hot water if necessary). Cut into slices; will last in refrigerator for a month or two.

 

Strawberry Mousse in Chocolate Cups

Posted by Jennifer Cote

I think I can talk myself into this dessert for Tom and me for Valentines’ Day. Because… strawberries are good for you! And chocolate’s good for your mood! Forget it- you don’t have to talk me into this- I’m eating it anyway 🙂

Strawberry Mousse in Homemade Chocolate CupsI’ve gotten to like frozen strawberries- I suspect the fruit is harvested closer to peak ripeness, unlike fresh strawberries, which often are quite flavorless! (Even the organic ones…)

For a faster dessert, forgo making the chocolate cups, putting the strawberry mousse in a pretty parfait glass instead. Either way, delicious!

Makes about 4 servings mousse, but the chocolate will make 8 or more chocolate cups.

INGREDIENTS

  • One 12-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
  • 2 TBS. sugar
  • 1 1/2 TBS. water
  • 3/4 tsp. gelatin
  • 1 1/2 c. cream, whipped
  • 1/2 c. chocolate chips
  • 1/2 TBS. butter
  • Foil cupcake liners

Easy Strawberry Mousse w/frozen berriesPrepare chocolate cups for this dessert, or skip this step, putting the strawberry mousse in parfait glasses instead. For the chocolate cups, gently heat in double-boiler (or microwave just over a minute): > 1/2 c. chocolate chips > 1/2 TBS. butter

Use foil from foiled cupcake liners, and spoon/spread melted chocolate inside to coat, making 8 or so cups. Refrigerate the cups until the foil can be carefully peeled away.

For the mousse, puree in blender until smooth: > 1.30 lb. frozen strawberries, thawed > 2 TBS. sugar

Soften gelatin by sprinkling it over water. Let sit 2 minutes, then heat (or microwave) until melted. Use: > 1 1/2 TBS. water > 3/4 tsp. gelatin

Mix the strawberry puree and the “melted” gelatin together. Whip cream: > 1 1/2 c. cream, whipped

Fold the whipped cream into the other ingredients.

Dollop into prepare chocolate shells, or special glasses or bowls. Refrigerate several hours, until firm.

Chocolate Mousse w/ Raspberry Bark

Posted by Jennifer Cote

My friend just came off a 30-day cleansing diet. But of course- it was January, the month of resolutions! But now it’s February and she was hoping I’d make her some chocolate dessert to celebrate. So I did. Now we’re all celebrating, ’cause this stuff is good, and I had an excuse to make some.

Also, since we eat with our eyes, I needed some kind of garnish. And I only have so many groceries on hand, especially this time of year. Fruits are less flavorful… so what could I come up with?

Solution: I always have some dark chocolate and frozen raspberries around, so I melted the chocolate, reduced some of the raspberries to a paste, and ended up with a fitting garnish. Good enough to eat with your eyes! (And your mouth, of course.)

Now all you need is the recipe, right?

Chocolate Mousse- So Light, w/eggs, cream, & tad o' gelatin

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 pkg. gelatin (1 1/4 tsp.)
  • 2 TBS. cold water
  • rounded 3/4 chocolate chips
  • 2 TBS. butter
  • 2 TBS. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 TBS. sugar
  • 3 oz. dark chocolate
  • 1/3 c. frozen raspberries

Soften gelatin in the cold water, sprinkling the gelatin across the surface of the water in a small, shallow bowl: > 1/2 pkg. gelatin (1 1/2 tsp.) > 2 TBS. cold water

Microwave: > Softened gelatin

Also microwave: > rounded 3/4 c. chocolate chips > 2 TBS. butter

Mix together: > the microwaved gelatin > the melted chocolate/butter > 2 TBS. vanilla > 1/4 tsp. salt

Separate the egg yolks, adding the whites to a clean bowl. Add the egg yolks to the melted chocolate, stirring after adding each one. Use: > 3 egg yolks

Whip whites until frothy:  > 3 egg whites

Add to frothy whites, beating until glossy: > 1 TBS. sugar

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped egg white mixture. It’s OK is some isn’t completely mixed in yet.

Now fold all the the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Use pastry bag to add the mousse to containers (or dollop by the spoonful), into 8 dishes, small wine glasses, etc. Garnish with a wedge or two of the raspberry-chocolate bark.

To make the garnish, melt the dark chocolate. Spread onto parchment, in a 6” square. Use: > 3 oz. dark chocolate

Meanwhile, heat raspberries in small pan, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced and it’s a paste consistency. Gently spread the raspberry onto the square of chocolate. Use: > 1/3 c. frozen raspberries

Chill the square of raspberry-chocolate bark until firm, then break into chunks to garnish mousse.

PS If you’re interested in a more “paleo” style mousse, very lightly sweetened with honey, using coconut cream instead of dairy, check out this recipe.